Ruben Loftus-Cheek stakes claim to place on Chelsea bench with Europa League hat-trick

He'll almost certainly be on the bench at the weekend after this performance

Let it never be said, his chances are dead, because there's so little else, occupying his head. There is nothing he needs except the chance to play, and with minimal fuss, he made it 3-1 Chelsea... Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored all three goals as Chelsea beat BATE Borisov 3-1 tonight, making the most of the opportunity to show just why he belongs in this team. Having stayed at Chelsea this summer, determined to break into the first team after a semi-successful loan spell at Crystal Palace, he has struggled for minutes so far this season. Ross Barkley and Mateo Kovačić stand in his way, so it should not come as a surprise, but someone with such talent must be allowed the chance to use it. Tonight he was, and he grabbed that chance with both hands. Timing his run into the box perfectly, he opened the scoring with an emphatic finish as he met a low cross from Davide Zappacosta. https://twitter.com/btsportfootball/status/1055537276946649089 His second then came after he beat his marker to poke an outswinging corner home. Initial confusion led many to think that Olivier Giroud had got to the ball first, but Loftus-Cheek ensured that he rightfully claimed his goal. The 21-year-old then went on to make it three with a sweet, inside-of-the-foot strike from just outside the box. Truthfully, the goalkeeper should have saved it, having got two (weak) hands to it, but let's not nit-pick. https://twitter.com/btsportfootball/status/1055554457877073920 Maurizio Sarri will be impressed tonight, and now faces the problem of who to select on Sunday, when Chelsea travel to Turf Moor to take on Burnley. Ross Barkley will likely get the nod, as he played no part in tonight's game, but it won't be long before Loftus-Cheek gives Sarri a genuine selection headache if he can keep up this sort of form.